TWO medics fought through floodwater in a borrowed ambulance to reach a woman just before she gave birth.

James Hore

TWO medics fought through floodwater in a borrowed ambulance to reach a woman just before she gave birth.

The family, from the Braintree area, had tried to make it to hospital when the expectant mother reached the final stages of labour but had to turn back due to the extreme floods this morning.

They called 999 at about 7.45am and two emergency care practitioners (ECPs) were dispatched to the family home.

They would normally have travelled by rapid response car but took a spare ambulance in the hope that the larger vehicle would fare better on flooded roads.

Steve Monk, one of the ECPs, said: “The family had tried to get to hospital earlier but had been forced to turn back due to flooding in the area. We arrived just in the nick of time to help the woman deliver her baby.”

Steve Colmer, the other practitioner, added: “A midwife had been called but was unable to get to the address due to flooded roads.

“The ambulance service liaised with police to ensure she would have suitable transport to the family's home.

“In the meantime, we travelled there in the ambulance as quickly as we could, despite having to make a diversion to avoid an impassable road.

“Within four to five minutes of our arrival, a healthy 8lb, 13oz boy was born with no complications. The midwife arrived shortly afterward. The proud dad was able to cut the cord.”

Mr Monk added: “We stayed at the scene for a couple of hours and worked together with the midwife to carry out full health checks, making sure both mum and baby were stable.

“Fortunately they didn't need to go to hospital, and the family, including a proud older sister, were able to stay at home, allowing the new addition settle in comfortably.

“After saying goodbye to the family, we gave the midwife a lift back to her normal place of work so that she could carry on with her duties, as otherwise she would have been stuck at the scene.”